Comptroller audit lauds Tompkins County’s recycling efforts

ITHACA — Tompkins County recently announced that its recycling efforts received high marks in an audit from the New York State Comptroller’s Office. 

The audit examined performance measures of the Solid Waste Management Division from Jan. 1, 2013, to July 7, 2014. It concluded that the various recycling programs the county implemented have been successful in diverting waste from the landfill, while saving the county more than $1.4 million since 2011.

“We commend county officials for implementing these programs, reducing waste, and monitoring performance to continue to improve results,” the State Comptroller’s Office said in the audit.

The audit found 43,532 tons of waste was diverted during the period examined, or the equivalent of the annual greenhouse- gas emissions of 23,539 passenger vehicles. Additionally, the county projected it averaged 3.3 pounds of waste per person per day in 2014, much lower than the state average of 4.5 pounds per person.

“The audit demonstrates how the residents and businesses of Tompkins County have supported our programs to reduce the amount of waste that is generated, while also saving a significant amount of money,” Barbara Eckstrom, manager of the county’s Solid Waste Division, said in the release. “We have successfully decreased the waste stream by nearly 60 percent,” she added.

Eckstrom cited the success of curbside recycling, the public’s use of the Recycling and Solid Waste Center, food-scraps recycling, and the household hazardous-waste management program for contributing to the county’s waste-reduction efforts.